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12.29.2012

Not only did I bring in an impressive haul for Christmas {thanks in part to an awesome Amazon wish list that I shared so well, and my maneuvering to do most of my own Christmas shopping} but I also managed to be a very spoiled princess on my birthday as well.

My mom came out a clear winner in spoiling her eldest daughter this year. For Christmas, she championed my Amazon list and managed to wrangle other family members into purchasing off of it, too, so I ended up with all sorts of lovely gifts I picked myself.

Then -oh yes, there's a then- she managed to save an extra special surprise for my birthday. She once again consulted the Amazon list and got me a beautiful aquamarine Victorian style ring I've wanted forever but haven't felt justified in buying for myself. I even managed to wait until the 27th {a day short of my birthday} to open her cute little birthday paper wrapped gift. Wrapping my birthday presents in Christmas paper was a huge pet peeve for me growing up, and my momma knows how I feel about being a Christmas baby.

Um, love!!

Billy made sure my whole birthday was pretty wonderful. He let me sleep in, then we had a late breakfast and lazed around before making plans for the day. We headed to the theater to see Silver Linings Playbook, which was so very good! Definitely worth seeing in theaters if you get a chance.

Billy then whisked me off to Los Gatos for a fancy pants dinner at Nick's on Main, my favorite little foodie gem. It's one of those tiny restaurants that is sort of tiny inside and can get crowded, with a menu that changes seasonally to fit with what's available locally.

The food at Nick's would turn even the most unrefined palette into a weeping mess of emotions. Billy and I first ate here a few summers ago, and were stunned. We were totally floored by the flavors and were converted to the church of gastronomy delights. This trip wasn't any different.

We started with potato and bacon soup for B, and wild mushroom risotto for me, oh sweet goodness of creamy and delicious.

Our entrees were even more wonderful. I chose the Chilean sea bass with potato gnocchi, mushrooms and butternut squash. Billy had the bone in rib eye with whipped potatoes, mushrooms and roasted Serrano chilies. We were both in heaven. I have never tried sea bass before, and was so pleasantly surprised by how buttery and mild the taste was.

Of course there was a dessert course. It was my birthday, and a good friend insisted that I eat all the carbs. Billy had the peanut butter chocolate mousse, which was so thick and dense and ridiculously decadent. I went with a classic flourless chocolate cake, which oh my goodness was such a nice piece of birthday cake :) My mouth thanked me for this meal. Trust me, it said thank you in several languages, and then I burped the whole way home because I was so full. Oh OK, the glass of cuvee might have had something to do with the burping too.

Annnnd I'm hungry again.

Yup, this birthday was pretty awesome, even if I had some anti-social feelings and didn't want to actually interact with anyone other than Billy. I would consider my tiny bit of a funk as a successful birthday. Thanks to everyone who sent birthday love!

12.28.2012

“A beautiful girl can make you dizzy, like you've been drinkin' Jack and Coke all morning. She can make you feel high - full of the single greatest commodity known to man - promise. Promise of a better day. Promise of a greater hope. Promise of a new tomorrow. This particular aura can be found in the gait of a beautiful girl. In her smile, and in her soul, and the way she makes every rotten little thing about life seem like it's gonna be okay.” That my friends, is my girl, my human sized bottle of hopes and dreams that I have the privilege of sipping from every day, and its her golden birthday! *Yay for Addy*

Through this woman’s love, I am able to extract immeasurable amounts of strength and courage. When I have a rough day and really feel like grabbing a customer by their hair and smacking their face on/through the counter I take a breath, think of her, and maybe not calm down, but summon the courage to eat my anger and get through the situation with requisite fake smile. Recently, she has given me the strength to do what I never thought I’d do: Leave. Everything.

You see, I love my family. I feel like I am in the vast minority in this country where my family actually gets along and really like each other. We’ve been married over 5 years now and I still get all homesick if I don’t get to see my folks every week. The thought of not seeing them, or being more than a day trip away from them almost makes me ill. These feelings do however conflict with 2 things: 1: my urge to provide the best life possible for her and 2: my manological clock (yes you can use that).

My manological clock is ticking hard for one thing right now (2 if you count a supercharger for my little pony), and that is to buy a real house by the time I hit 35, and not a glorified apartment either. I want a place where nobody can tell me what to do, how to decorate, or to have some courtesy because of shared walls. 35 because home loans usually last 30 years, and I don’t want to be working full time into my 70ies. The harsh reality is that isn’t very possible here in CA unless we both double our incomes in the next few years. The alternative is leaving.

I recently applied for a Manager position in Texas with my company. Not only is it a significant pay increase, but the cost of living out there is roughly 40% less. On my salary alone we could pay less on a nice house than we do for rent, and she could be the little trophy wife she has always wanted to be. I really nailed my phone interview, and really got a great vibe off the managers out there, unfortunately, my company is more about rewarding those who have put in time than those who are actually good at what they do, so I’m doubtful it will pan out, but who knows. Pray for us.

In the short time we’ve really had to think about it I’ve really run through the gambit of emotions. When I first saw the post my palms got sweaty, heart started thumping. I knew I could do it but I’d miss my family. I don’t want to end up a stranger to my nephew, but the more I look at and sip on my little hope cocktail, the more confident I am that I can do this for us. I’m finally feeling a little tug on my heart strings that I’ve always credited with being God’s guidance which was missing just a few days ago. I just pray now that we can get the chance, and if it doesn’t pan out, there is always Jack and Coke..err umm...other positions. Happy Birthday hun.

12.27.2012

Hey loves, hope your Christmas was wonderful, life is treating you well and the week is rather laid back for you, like my own!

We are going to get right down to what the title implies and discuss this golden giveaway. Please proceed to read:

Since my birthday is tomorrow...

and because it's my golden birthday...

and because I am actually celebrating it this year...

YOU get to benefit from my birth!

This giveaway is chock full of my favorite little things, because I assume that if I enjoy something, everyone else will too. Sound logic. *pat on back*

First off, there is a beautiful 34 piece makeup brush set, of which I also have a set! The set even comes with a cool leather pouch to keep the brushes organized. Make sure you give the brushes a nice wash with a gentle shampoo and let them dry before your use them, they will smell and feel way better that way.

A full size can of my absolute favorite dry shampoo, Rockaholic dirty secret dry shampoo spray. This stuff reminds me of margaritas with the delicious fresh lime scent. I am telling you, this stuff gets me through my 1-2 shampoos a week without smelling and feeling like a dirty hippie. A travel size can of Aquage finishing spray, which is what I use in my wedding hair kit, ELF super glossy lip shine gloss in watermelon, Hempz herbal lip balm, and China Glaze nail polish in naked.

Oh, and a little bag of yummy Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles just to sweeten the deal, as if it could get any better ;)

So, are you intrigued and ready to enter this here giveaway? Use the rafflecopter form below while calling in all of your lucky stars. This giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry international bloggy friends, it's super expensive to ship out of the country, and as I am the one fronting this here giveaway, I chose to be cheap ;)

Now go, enjoy a very merry unbirthday present to you from me on my actual birthday {well, it will be my birthday on 12/28}!

12.21.2012

Happy Friday loves! If it truly is the end of the world as the Mayans predicted, then thanks for being my blog friends and reading on your last day on earth. If we continue on, then a big fat HAH! to those Mayan chiselers who got a hand cramp at 12.21.2012 ;)

Hope this week went by extra fast, and you are all done with your Christmas shopping, because it's only a few days away now! I am looking forward to a busy weekend, then lots of family time for the holidays. Oh, and my birthday is in a week, and I haven't completely shut down into an "I hate my birthday" funk, so all is well!

Not only have I been busy working at the salon, and learning about Steampunk for Lexie's photoshoot, but I've also been working with a SF based design company called LALY designs, who asked me to style hair for a billboard.

You heard me, a freaking billboard in San Francisco.

There were lots of photos taken in various dresses that Laly and other SF based designers have made, but only one got to go up on a building, and it was a shot of the gold sparkle dress.

Gorgeous, right?! Here it is live on Union Street:

Another dress from this particular photoshoot was the Silk Dreams dress which is stunning

Another look for this shoot was the concha dress, which has these awesome large sequins that perfectly catch the light and bring you all of the attention!

I was also able to provide hair for a Laly fashion show last month, where these three dresses got some more love.

I'm telling you, I am hitching my wagon to the Laly train, because this smarty pants designer/entrepreneur is going to all the right places! I can't wait to see what 2013 brings to Lara and the rest of the staff for Laly, and hopefully I work with them on more fashion shows and projects!

12.20.2012

Hellllooooo out there in blog-land! I'm alive, I am still keeping up with all of your lives by reading your blogs, I just can't seem to find the motivation to write my own posts these days, so they are becoming more infrequent, whoops!

I've been keeping myself busy with work at the salon, some exciting photoshoots, holiday preparations, and catching up on my rest when I can. I haven't been running as much as I would like because I have a nagging hip flexor issue that I think is starting to become a groin issue as well. My hips and pelvis HURT after running. Thanks to my girl Stacie, I was able to get 60% off of a pair of Aspaeris pivot shorts, and I am hoping those bad boys will help alleviate some of the muscle pain and hip issues after a run. Want your own pair at a steep discount? Use coupon code FROSTYRUN at checkout, it cuts the $60 price tag down to something reasonable. Maybe I should have bought more than one pair...

One of my exciting photoshoots was for my beautiful friend Lexie whom I connected with my good friend Tom for a Steampunk style photoshoot, with some pretty head shots thrown in there as well.

Tom is amazing. He picked up photography as a hobby a little over a year ago, and I have watched his skills skyrocket and now he is a super fantastic photographer that I want to shoot "all the things" with.

Here are some of the gorgeous shots he captured right at sunset for the head shots, and then after dark for the steampunk looks.

We kept Lexie very peaches and cream natural for the head shots, leaving her hair softly curled, and then built up the color intensity and up swept her hair for the steampunk looks.

You guys, I have the prettiest friends. I kid you not, I have collected some gorgeous people to call my BFFs, and they are SO MUCH fun to play hair and makeup with. Also, these pretty people are super creative. Lexie mentioned that cute top hat her mom made {*gasp* seriously, I know, it's pretty awesome in person, and it's handmade!} and wanted to incorporate it into a steampunk styled shoot, so we scrounged up costume pieces, and wouldn't you know it, we didn't have to buy a single thing for this look. Ingenuity right there.

12.12.2012

What up friendos? Sorry I missed both Monday and Tuesday this week, I just couldn't be bothered to blog, and I didn't think about prepping anything to schedule. So it goes.

Thought I would share a few "real" things with you, because that has gotta make me more human and less "faceless blogger on the internet". Ready?

I must admit that though I planned my dinners out for last week, I only made one recipe, and I didn't even eat any of it. It was the man pleasing chicken which I made with yellow mustard. I hate the smell of yellow mustard, and cooked on chicken only makes it worse, so while I could tolerate it the week before, it became an unappetizing meal. This week I didn't even plan anything, so no Tasty Tuesday dinner recipes to share, whoops!

I am messy. I stack things everywhere from the kitchen table to corners of the bedroom, and to clean up, I condense my multiple stacks into single stacks and shuffle my stuff around until it feels cleaner. I hate cleaning because I am lazy, so it only gets done when we are having company over or I have reached my limit and snap, going into a cleaning frenzy until everything is better or I wear out, whichever comes first.

I can hardly get anything done when Billy is off work. Not his fault, I just want to spend as much time with him as possible, and it usually means sleeping in, relaxing on the couch, and shirking responsibilities. I should plan my weeks accordingly so things get done when he is working, but that takes too much foresight, and I tend to live in the now.

I hate going to bed. Oh, I love sleeping, and I hate feeling tired when I wake up, but for some reason I have spent my life avoiding bedtime. I stay up too late, find all sorts of things I need to do instead of sleep, and then curse when the clock tells me how little sleep I will be getting. Maybe I think I'm going to miss out on something if I go to sleep early, so I just stay up. My mom says I've always been a night owl, so I guess that was ingrained.

I prefer sweets and easy to grab packaged foods. Oh, I fight this one regularly, but it's a hard battle. I know I can't out train a bad diet, so unless I clean up my eating I will be stuck at an uncomfortable weight. I'm pretty sure pre-planning my meals and stocking my house with easy to grab healthy things may make this easier...

I treat my dog likes she's my child. I dress her up, take countless annoying photos that I inevitably post to multiple social media outlets. I talk to her, give her kisses, and let her sleep in the bed with me. I am such a sucker.

I absolutely love living in the Bay Area. I hate the housing market here. I think it's the only place in the US where houses are going more than asking, and have 30+ offers. I heard a rumor that the banks are holding 100k foreclosed homes and refusing to release them to the market, creating a seller's market so they can get the most for their properties. I hate the banks for this. I also can't imagine living anywhere else, so I will probably never own a home, a condo, or even a little cardboard box on a plot of land. Woe is me.

12.08.2012

Friends, even in our lowest times of self-doubt and worry, God finds a way to brighten the dark and give us comfort. It's funny how these little occurrences can be mistaken for coincidence or karma, but I know better. My God is loving, He cares incredibly deeply for His children, and He hates to see us hurting. He would do anything possible to keep us from doubting His plan, but we have little faith and often give in to worry and strife.

That's where I was this week when I found out I have a cyst in my ovary. I doubted that I would be able to continue my egg donation cycle. I worried that the cyst would turn into something worse. I was sad and felt I was letting people down. Friday, I had my hope and purpose renewed.

I have only had one donation recipient contact me. She wrote me the most beautiful note, and gave me a silver necklace that I still love. I wrote about it here, and said how that little act of thankfulness bowled me over and reaffirmed my beliefs about being an egg donor.

That same recipient sent me another gift and equally touching note. The gift is an incredibly soft cashmere cable knit scarf, and I am wearing it as I type. The note made me cry in the elevator where I read it, and was even written on a super cute cupcake card, how perfect for me!

To our wonderful donor,

We just want you to know that we are thinking of you. Think of this gift as a gigantic hug from us. Because of you we have a wonderful addition to our family, giving each day a whole new meaning. We want you to know how thankful we are for you, our beautiful baby, and how you will always have a place in our hearts.

With love,

The couple you helped last November

The timing of this gift, the way she phrased her note, and how much it touched me is all too perfect and I know it was divine. God saw me hurting and doubting, and spoke to me in a way that would have a direct impact on my situation. I am so thankful I have a God who knows me, loves me, and cares that deeply for me. To say I was touched, once again, by this woman's tender heart and incredible spirit is an understatement. She probably had no clue what this would mean to me when she decided to pick out a scarf and write a sweet note to the woman who donated eggs for her a year ago. She may have just gotten it into her head one day, or maybe she felt the tiniest of nudges on her heart that spurred her to action. Whatever it was, it was the perfect timing, and I am filled with hope for this next cycle, and whatever it brings. Oh, and I am overjoyed that she has a new little baby in her life!! I helped that happen!

So hopefully this will help you remember that even when you are doubting yourself, your purpose, and you are feeling down, you are not alone nor forgotten in your time of despair! My heart is lighter as I go into the weekend of work ahead, and I hope that even if you don't believe as I do, that your day will be brightened as mine has been!

12.07.2012

Finally getting around to a Friday's letters post, seems like it's been forever!

Of course, gotta send some love to my homie in MI, Ashley at Adventures of Newlyweds for always keeping this link alive, even with the bajillion and five things she has going on.

Dear Anne, your training sessions are legit. You make me feel all "stick a fork in me, I'm done". Oh and I can hardly walk still. Thanks for challenging me and making me work for my sweets. For all of you who would like to get some Anne inspired fitness on in your own neck of the woods, try this kettle bell workout or this winter yoga workout to warm you up!

Dear fake Christmas tree, you are so pretty. I have always thought fake trees were kinda lame, but you have completely changed my opinion. Your fluffy branches are nothing like the pipe cleaner AstroTurf contraptions of yesteryear, and the fact that there are no needles to clean up or water to be changed {and spilled} is awesome. I am completely converted to your form of holiday spirit.

Dear hot yoga, you are hot, schwetty, and make me light headed at times, but boy is that intense workout exhilarating. I would like to practice some form of yoga at least once a week, and I am completely OK with embracing your warmth on cold, rainy days. Can you make me shed them lbs also, cuz homegirl has more than a muffin top going on right now.

Dear #runcember, I doubt I'll run every day the rest of this month, but I am planning on running more than usual. 3 days in a row this week? Unheard of for me. Here's hoping that you and yoga can whittle me down a bit.

Dear Billy, thanks for loving me no matter what. Sorry for snapping at you on Tuesday, but thank you for understanding and knowing there was more going on. Your reassuring cuddles, words, and looks are THE best. We are ridiculous, and so smitten, even now :) Love you!

Dear blog friends, you gals are the best! Thanks for sharing your love and stories with me on my ovarian cyst post from yesterday. I am so appreciative of the community that comes from blogging, and I am comforted by the love that gets poured out in times like these. You guys make me smile, give me hope, and remind me that life goes on and not everything is within my control, so thank you!

Dear friends shopping for a sweet dress to wear to a holiday party this season, I've got something special for you! After writing this post about my new tea party dress, I was contacted by Kohl's and given the chance to offer my readers a 10% off coupon code that can be used on Kohls.com in addition to their already reasonably prices and can stack with another department level discount, so check the sales section! Use code TENBLOG at checkout to receive 10% off, but do it by December 23! Here is a link directly to their dress shop to make your shopping easier :)

Dear Sadie, will I ever stop falling more in love with you puppy dog? You are my best buddy, and I think you are so rad. Thanks for being such a good dog!

12.06.2012

On Tuesday I had an ultrasound to make sure my ovaries are ready to start my latest egg donor cycle. This is routine and always goes fine, ending with a pat on the back telling me I am ready to start the first injections.

This time, I have a large cyst in my right ovary that should have resolved itself by this point in my cycle. By large I mean 2cm, but on the ultrasound screen it looked like it filled at least half of the ovary. My doctor said that in most cases a cyst will resolve itself by my next period, but they don't want me to start medication until it's gone because it's possible to make the cyst grow, and then I wouldn't be able to add in the gonadotropins later on. So now I have to finish off my birth control pack rather than start injections, and get another ultrasound to make sure everything is quiet in my ovaries next month.

Via wiki, a 2cm left ovarian cyst, not mine

Now, I have had my cycle timelines changed before, but it has never been because of me. I don't do well with the idea of my own failure {real or perceived} or causing disappointment. For the first time, I am getting a real sense of the frustration, sadness, and futility recipients must feel when they are dealing with infertility. My empathy is growing for the people I have helped in the past, and for those who are struggling with infertility. It's not my fault I have a cyst, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to control it. Same with my friends who have had miscarriages, or who are attempting to get pregnant.

It nearly broke my heart that I am holding up another woman's chance to start her family, even if by just a few weeks. Of course, I immediately conjured up worst case scenarios aside from not being able to donate right away. Things like "ovarian cancer", "tumors", and "losing an ovary" definitely came to mind. Granted, there is practically no chance that's what's happening {94% of ovarian cysts are benign}, I just couldn't help but go there. Don't we all assume the worst? I immediately thought of one of my heroes, Diem Brown, and the second bought of ovarian cancer she is currently battling. I didn't want to be in her shoes. I have cried right along with her as I watched her videos of her chemo hair loss, and silently prayed as I read her People blog posts about her battle. That's what I think of when I hear I have a cyst in an ovary, "Lord, don't let me be like Diem. I don't want to have cancer." A little dramatic, much? Yes, but friends, that is where my head goes when left alone to mull over a situation.

I came home from my appointment grouchy and introspective. I snapped a little at Billy throughout the morning, went for a run to help clear my mind, and then cuddled on Billy's lap for an hour and eventually felt better. I know I can do nothing to fix the cyst, it will clear on it's own and I will resume the cycle as planned. All things happen for a reason. It's always a surprise when I am matched up for another cycle since there are so many factors a recipient takes into account when choosing, and timing has to be right for all parties. I may push the estimated cycle time out, but by doing so, I will be able to give my recipient the healthiest eggs I can. I cling to this hope and know things will be right in the end. And if they are not? We will deal with that if it's the case, but what's the use in worrying about something that hasn't even happened, right?

12.05.2012

Well hello there, blog loves! Joining the party for WILW and letting you in on my current faves are.

1. I'm loving that I am not completely hating that my birthday is 23 days away. That would be December 28th, if you are anything like me and have trouble with simple math.
*I have a theory that I have replaced all of my math skills with useless information and pop culture references, but I was never really into numbers to begin with. I digress.*
I usually stop talking about my birthday once December hits, then get more and more reclusive and anti-social as it draws nearer. By the time my birthday rolls around, I am in an all out funk and want nothing to do with getting older, which is exactly what birthdays celebrate. Anyone else feel me on this? This year I am planning a sweet tea party at one of my favorite places, Lisa's Tea Treasures, and inviting a bunch of girlfriends to play dress up and drink tea with me. I never said I had to embrace getting older, so I am turning to the fun of my youth to celebrate another year! I have a cake picked out for my birthday, here let me show you! Isn't it perfect?!

2. I am loving little miss Sadie girl! She is such a joy, a total shadow, a snugly little thing, and the best running buddy. Her only downside it seems is her obsession with cat poop. Gross.
Here is where I would post a photo of Sadie, but it seems I have reached my max storage capacity for uploaded photos, and I don't have all my photos uploaded to a third party site right now :( Seriously Google/Blogger/Picasa, get it together. What am I supposed to do, go through my blog posts and remove all uploaded photos from the past two years to make room for new ones? Deleting folders from my Picasa account didn't have any affect on the storage issue. I do not want to buy more space, either, humph. Oops I ranted.

3. I am loving that I found a tea party dress for my birthday! And accessories! And a fascinator headband thing! Oh, and all at Kohl's of all places. Did not see that coming. Wanna see? The dress is by Speechless, black lace with a dropped waist, ribbon accent, and chiffon sort of skirt. Very 20's! The necklace is Jennifer Lopez, and looks a little like the one below, but with clear and black stones in varying lengths. Billy said it looked like bird poop when he first saw a photo of it, but recanted and said it pulled the outfit together once he saw it in person. Right. The earrings are Apt. 9, and are the same color as the necklace, so that picture should give you a better idea. Oh, and the fascinator? Totally fun! It's a headband with a little hat like thing on the side that is navy blue with black Swiss dotted netting, and has fur, feathers and gemstone adornments. Funny how I had the idea that I would end up with some sort of gold in my outfit because it's my golden birthday, but there will be none now! You can find yourself a cute party dress by checking out this link to the Kohl's dress shop. I was even contacted by Kohl's and given this rad 10% off coupon code to share with all of you, it's even stackable on one other discount! Use code TENBLOG at checkout through December 23.

4. Because I found a little headband hat thing, I am loving some pretty, vintage inspired hair inspiration to put under it!

12.04.2012

Holla! Not hola, but a derivative of holler just to be clear. If you are wondering why I started a Tasty Tuesday post with it, that's Cassie's favorite word, which she wrote about here.

I am continuing with last week's theme of giving you a look at the recipes I have planned for dinner this week. Because let's face it, if I have dinners planned, I tend to make most of them, and without this sort of accountability, I am likely to not plan anything and resort to take out dinner, which is never good. Ready for some awesome Pinterested recipes? Here are the five I have planned for this week. No idea which days I'll make them, but that seems to work better for me, as I will inevitably push one out in favor of another at some point anyway as my schedule allows.

Bringing back the man pleasing chicken from last week, because as the name implies, it pleased my man. He was sad I only made one package of thighs, and has requested that I make more this time so he can enjoy it longer. I actually fudged the recipe a bit because I didn't have Dijon mustard, so I used part yellow mustard and part spicy brown mustard. Still super tasty. I'm buying Dijon for this week's adaptation to get the original recipe's taste.

Skillet lasagna because lasagna is such a great weeknight meal, and if it's light and in one pan? Even better.

Possible crock pot cheesy veggie chowder The original recipe is a stock pot version, but commenters have left options for using the crock pot. Might be nice to come home to this bubbling away and ready to eat some cold evening!

Want to share some recipes with me for future dinners? I'd love a comment linking to your blog posts or Tasty Tuesday posts!